SUMMARY
- Patrick trained at the Maryland Championship Wrestling Training Center, where he excelled and shortly graduated in 2014 as a professional wrestler.
- Patrick Clark Jr., aka Velveteen Dream, was previously released from the Stamford-based promotion.
Patrick Clark Jr., popularly known as Velveteen Dream, is an American professional wrestler who worked previously in the WWE. He was signed to the development roster of NXT and had formerly fought on WWE Tough Enough VI.
Patrick trained at the Maryland Championship Wrestling Training Center, where he excelled and shortly graduated in 2014 as a professional wrestler. Later that year, he had his first in-ring match at the MCW Waldorf Warfare event, where he competed and lost against Kai Katana. After that, he went on to wrestle on the independent circuit for various promotions.
Velveteen Dream’s impressive performance in WWE’s Tough Enough season 6 led to him signing a developmental contract with the Stamford-based promotion. He made his televised in-ring debut in NXT on July 20, 2016, where he lost to Austin Aries. Clark went on to challenge the NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura but that did not end well for him as he was beaten down by the Japanese superstar.
He is well known for his feud with Aleister Black on NXT when he returned to the promotion with a new persona and name, ‘Velveteen Dream’. His first title victory in WWE came when he defeated Johnny Gargano to become the NXT North American Champion.
Velveteen was having a promising career, but things went downhill for him in 2020. When he was accused of inappropriate behavior and s*xual misconduct. He was accused of sending indecent images through his Instagram to underage individuals.
A Reddit user tried to expose him by sharing screenshots. Two months later, more allegations were made against Velveteen for sending inappropriate photos and messages to young girls and boys. There was an investigation done, but due to a lack of evidence, he got a clean chit.
But in 2021, more evidence started surfacing, which led to his release from the Stamford-based promotion. In 2022, he was arrested in Florida for first-degree battery and trespassing. But he pleaded that he was not guilty of the charges. Six days after this incident, he was again arrested for drug possession.
Patrick Clark Jr. issued a video apology to the wrestling community
On January 2, 2024, Patrick Clark Jr. posted a video on his Instagram where he was seen apologizing for his actions and behavior. The wrestler expressed his regrets and apologized to the WWE.
Patrick Clark Jr. (Velveteen Dream) has issued an apology for his actions over recent years.
IMO, his apology felt heartfelt and genuine – but maybe too little, too late?
It seems that he is trying to get his life back on track, and I can respect that. pic.twitter.com/Qa2F5mEyik
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) January 2, 2024
He said, “I want to apologize to the WWE organization. I want to apologize to the WWE organization for any unwanted attention and negative press that I brought to your brand and your product.” He further asked for forgiveness from his fans and explained how the name Velveteen Dream should have been used in a positive light.
Patrick took accountability for his actions and expressed his regrets about what he had done in the past 3 years. At the end of the video, he hoped for forgiveness.